Ukiah council divided on future of Grace Hudson Museum oak tree

Soon minus a few branches, the large oak tree near Grace Hudson Museum will remain standing for now, although two members of the Ukiah City Council do not agree that pruning it is the best course of action.

"I think at some point the tree has to go, and the sooner we start with a new tree, the sooner we have a big tree," said Mayor Doug Crane, who voted against having staff pay arborist John Phillips an estimated $3,500 to cut off more of the tree's branches.

Community Services Administrator Katie Marsolan said the 80-foot tall valley oak is a very typical old tree, meaning it can drop its branches, and that is worrisome because it is in a public park.

"The tree is of heightened concern because (Carpenter Hudson Park) is a very active space and will continue to be," Marsolan said. "Arborists (who examined the tree) have reached a consensus that it does present some decay and cracks, but nearly every tree of this age has those, and it could have many more years of health."

Marsolan said the majestic tree is already beloved by many in the community, but it could become even more important as a centerpiece in the future plans for the park, which will be transformed into a cultural center featuring living exhibits thanks to a $3 million state grant.

"We feel very confident that this tree could be a feature of an educational exhibit ... and will be a tool for us," she continued. "The best course for us as staff to be able to utilize the tree and the space (around it) would be to prune it."

Phillips pruned the tree and put in a cable system to help support the tree's branches more than 15 years ago, but a large branch fell two summers ago. Since then, the city has put up signs and other barriers to keep people away from the tree's "dripline," or where branches might fall.

Marsolan said the pruning being suggested "would be more than just your average haircut, we would move some weight from the canopy above the cables, and the tree would have a smaller canopy."

Since Phillips pruned the tree in the past, Marsolan said staff was recommending he perform the work again, estimating that it would cost about $3,500, including equipment rental. The contract she asked the council to approve was for "not more than $5,000."

When Council member Benj Thomas asked what the annual pruning costs for the tree were expected to be, Marsolan said she did not expect pruning to occur on an annual basis.

"Does pruning a tree of this age in fact weaken it, and endanger the health of the tree?" Thomas asked, and Marsolan said "Yes, any time a tree loses a branch to falling or pruning, that's a defect, and the health of a tree is characterized by the number of defects."

"We are also trying to address liability issues," said Sherri Smith-Ferri, director of the museum. "The pruning will have a negative impact, but if somebody is hurt (by a falling branch), that will also have a negative impact."

When Council member Mary Anne Landis asked that since the tree was expected to be a living exhibit, could the grant funds be used for the pruning, Marsolan said staff was suggesting that it be paid "out of the general fund now, and future work would be paid for out of the grant funding."

When Landis asked if "this is the best use of this resource," Marsolan said, "This process has helped me without a doubt realize that the tree, given its location and its relationship to other amenities in the park, is a very strong feature and is something the community is tied to. That's why we're proposing this -- this really is the strongest approach."

"I support the recommended action," said Council member Mari Rodin. "And I wonder if it would make sense to plant some other trees now?"

"Yes, we are planning on that," said Smith-Ferri. "And this tree has planted some of its ancestors around it, and us cutting back the canopy will allow those (trees) to grow better."

"How drastic will this haircut be, and are we really just buying time to get people used to the idea that they're going to lose the tree?" asked Thomas. "Is that the sense of staff?"

Marsolan said members of the city's Tree Advisory Group were supportive of the plan, and "staff is confident this is the best approach."

Phillips then addressed the council, saying that any pruning of a tree "can be harmful ... we don't do it for the sake of the tree, we're doing it for ourselves."

As for the frequency of pruning, Phillips said he didn't see a need for more pruning for at least five, maybe 10 years, and that the tree would not look "drastically different" after the proposed pruning.

"From a distance, it's not going to look that much different," he continued, estimating that the canopy would be reduced by about 10 to 15 percent. "The tree lost a major section three or four years ago, and we're trying to keep that from happening again."

Referring to the "Meet Our Old Lady" tagline on the new Visit Ukiah's website, Council member Phil Baldwin asked, "Is this the Old Lady that Visit Ukiah wants us to check out? We need to get that misogynistic statement off their website."

Thomas asked if perhaps private donations could be solicited to take care of the tree, and maybe "the people that are deeply concerned about this tree would care to contribute to a fund for maintaining it?"

Marsolan said the city would first need to fund the work, and that action "will determine whether we get those donations coming in."

The council then voted to approve the pruning work, with Thomas and Crane voting "no."

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.